Although Eren didn't know much about Levi, he came to the conclusion that Levi was a man so bizarre and... different. In less than a day, Eren learned that Levi was obsessed with keeping everything clean and tidy, that he held his scalding cups of tea by the rim. An awkward silence settled between the two of them as Eren read a book on the couch. Levi watched him, almost confused.

"You're going to read instead of inviting your girlfriend over? Is this generation of teenagers evolving?" he questioned the reading boy as he took a generous sip from his cup.

"First of all, it would be rude to invite people over when it isn't your house and second, I don't think of her that way," Eren answered with an unbothered tone without looking up from his book.

"So you're homosexual?"

Eren looked up quickly with surprise and nearly fell off the couch. He recollected himself before replying. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me damn well, kid."

"I am not," Eren started. "And if I were, it wouldn't be any of your business."

"You hesitated before answering," Levi noted before taking a long sip, his gaze never leaving Eren's.

"Leave me alone."

"I think it's my right to know more about some stranger who is going to stay in my fucking house. You could be an ax murderer for all I know."

Eren scoffed and set his book down on the table loudly. "I don't think my sexuality is relevant to whether or not I want to plunge an ax into someone's skull."

"Well, straight or not I don't fucking trust you," Levi told him. "You're a stranger after all."

"Why are you so nosy?"

"And why are you goddamn secretive?"

"Must you curse so much? No wonder Hanji said you're single," Eren argued.

"That's false."

"Wanna bet?" Eren taunted.

"In case you need to be reminded, all your belongings burned down with the rest of your house. It wouldn't be wise if you to be betting anything when you don't even have anything to bet," Levi said with a small chuckle.

"I have a job, I can make money in no time."

"Fine, since you're so persistent, I have an idea. An idea may be a brat like you would enjoy."

Levi came up with the idea of a swear jar. Levi hunted around his apartment for a jar and found a nearly empty one of banana peppers in the fridge. Eren watched as he dumped the spicy contents into the organic bin under the sink and vigorously scrubbed the jar until the scent of pickled peppers disappeared. It took forever, but Eren already knew better than to tell him to hurry up. He was picky about cleaning after all. After drying it with a dishcloth, he taped a sticky note reading "swear jar" onto it and held it up so that Eren could see it.

"For every swear that leaves our mouths, we'll put twenty cents in," Levi stated.

"What do we do when it gets full?" Eren questioned.

Levi paused to look at it again, then looked back at Eren. "Considering its size, it's probably going to take a while. We will count everything inside it when Valentine's day rolls around, and whoever swears last is the loser. The winner takes the loot and can buy anything he wants. Deal?"

"Deal," Eren agreed. "Sounds fun, but it won't be fun when you lose."

"Don't sound so sure of yourself, brat." Levi set the jar down on the coffee table next to the couch where Eren was sitting.

Eren clapped his hands together. "Now that's that's settled, I'm going outside."

Levi went up to the window and peered out of it. "Why would you do that? It's snowing. Are you fucking crazy?"

"Twenty cents, and no. My dad never let me go outside, so I didn't get much interaction with snow. Who knows, maybe he'll find me again one day and I'll never have another chance to do this," Eren explained as he stood up excitedly.

"You don't have anything to wear. Are you planning to freeze out there while you're at it?"

"Surely I can borrow something of yours, right?" Eren asked.

"You're getting too comfortable in my home already," Levi scolded. "Assuming you can automatically use my things?"

"But Hanji said I'm your responsibility right now. I don't think she would be too happy if you let me freeze outside," Eren spoke, almost cocky.

"Fine, whatever. You leave any damage, and I'm going to make Four Eyes take you back," Levi threatened.

Levi handed him his most prized and favorite jacket because it was the thickest and warmest out of everything else in his closet. It was a tan beige leather jacket with a weird but unique embroidery patch covering the back; a pair of wings, one being blue and the other white. Eren put it on and looked at himself through the mirror next to the door with Levi silently watching behind him.

"What's with the design?" Eren questioned curiously.

"No idea. It belonged to my grandfather. He told me it's called "wings of freedom" or "flugel der freiheit". I don't know what language it is, nor do I know the symbolism behind it. I just think it looks cool," Levi explained.

"It's German," Eren answered. "I used to speak German."

"'Used to?'" Levi echoed.

"Yes, with my mom before she disappeared. My father doesn't speak the language very fluently, so I never tried to speak it with him," Eren went on.

"Say a sentence in German then."

"Nein, I wanna go outside now," Eren declined as he fitted the jacket so that the sleeves reached his wrists.

Levi decided to wear only a turtleneck and a long button up cardigan because it had only begun to snow and so it wouldn't be too cold yet. Although the snow was fresh, there was already a few inches on the ground. Eren ran excitedly around, stomping into the snow the way a puppy would upon seeing it for the first time. The snow was light and danced gracefully in the air, but it was freezing cold. They were like tiny explosions of frost going off whenever they landed on Levi's skin, but Eren didn't seem to mind at all. Levi didn't want to stay outside and get his hair went so he turned to return back inside when a sphere of the cold, wet substance slapped him right into the side of his face.

"Oh, you little-"

"No need to freak out so soon, Mr. Ackerman! Only having fun, but I doubt your old man self wouldn't know what that is," Eren taunted as he bent down to make another one.

"You're a little shit, you know that? Fuck you, now I have to shower again," Levi snapped.

"Forty cents," Eren said gleefully.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You're trying to make me snap," Levi accused.

"Maybe, but you there are no rules in this bet."

"I'll make you pay for this. You just got here and you're already so irritating," Levi said with annoyance mixed in his voice. He grabbed a fistful of snow and cupped it in his hands until it was the form of a crooked but stable ball. The palms of his hands immediately went numb, but he was too annoyed to let it bother him. With no sign of a warning, he put all his power into his right arm and threw it, aiming straight for Eren's face. However, Eren was quick and turned his head which resulted in only the top of his head being hit.

"Ow, you got it in my ear," Eren whined.

"Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you just behaved," Levi sneered as he started to form another snowball.

Eren genuinely felt a fear bubble in his system at the sight of a short man violently flinging snowballs at him, and he knew he was done for the second the first ball clipped him on the shoulder. Eren screamed playfully before attempting to run off, only to be stopped when Levi chased after him and threw the snowballs at him as if his arms were machine guns.

"Ugh! Stop! You're getting it in my eyes," Eren complained.

"Well perhaps you shouldn't have started what you can't finish, you rat bastard," Levi growled as he continued to propel the snowballs at Eren like a madman.

"Twenty c-cents," Eren muttered as icy cold water dripped through his hair and onto his face.

---

"Ha," Levi said in a monotone voice as he sipped a newly poured cup of tea. "I knew you would be sicker than before. You're an idiot."

They decided it would be best to head back inside when Eren had begun to shiver aggressively. Eren was curled up across from Levi on the couch, wrapped like a blanket burrito with the light of scented candles illuminating his face.

"Well, you had to pay sixty more cents. You're the real idiot."

"Say whatever makes you feel better."

"You know what-" Eren began before sneezing loudly. "It seems like I'm the one who's winning."

"Don't get so cocky yet, Jaeger. We still have a lot of time before we declare who the winner is," Levi said and glanced over at Eren's half-eaten bowl of chicken noodle soup. "Hey, why aren't you eating the chicken?"

Eren set it down on the coffee table and crossed his arms. "The idea of chicken chunks in soup disgusts me. It's weird in my mind."

"No, it isn't. You act like a child. Hanji is expecting me to take care of you and it seems that you're doing anything to get even sicker. You need nutrients-"

"Says you," Eren cut him off. "You're like, two years older than me. You're no better than I am-"

"Oh, hush," Levi interrupted. "I'm twenty-six."

"What the hell? You don't look that old. You're lying." Eren said, peering at Levi through his cave of blankets.

"I'm a man of truth, but I'm taking that as a compliment." Levi took a long sip of his tea before placing it on the coffee table.

"Now that we've been forced inside by the bitter cold, we're probably going to end up bored once again. Got any ideas?" Eren groaned internally. Hanji wouldn't be home until nine o'clock, leaving them three more hours together.

"How about, like a normal sick person, get some rest?" Levi suggested.

"I'm not tired."

"I'll strike you a deal. I'll let you hack onto her LoL account if you promise to behave and go to bed after playing one match. Sound good?"

"What's her pass?"

"Sonnyandbean," Levi paused before whispering. "What a fool. She created it based off her dead cats. It was a pretty easy guess."

"Cool," Eren said and got up, letting the mess of blankets flop onto the couch like an avalanche.

"But you better sleep soon. Doctor's orders," Levi said from the couch before Eren disappeared behind a hallway.